Manga: Comics For Adults

The artist started out writing strips for newspapers and, in 1947, launched the comic book New Treasure Island . The book was an instant success, selling a record-breaking 400,000 copies, and instantaneously changing the industry forever.

Suddenly, manga wasn't just for kids anymore. Tezuka's innovations in terms of style and content appealed to a larger audience. The complexity of his work kept readers hooked, and they continued reading manga well into adulthood.

anime makes waves

Tezuka Osamu was also the creative force behind anime, which got its start with his 1958 film based on the legend of the Chinese Monkey King . Three years later, he founded Mushi Productions, his own animation company. His first creation, Mighty Atom , was the first show to feature a recurring cast in a fiction series.

During the '60s, all Japanese animated series were aimed at children, and had one-dimensional, good vs. evil storylines. It was in the '70s that everything changed. Monkey Punch came out with Lupin III (or Rupan Sansei), based on the gentleman burglar of French literature. Adult audiences quickly took to the elaborate adventures and mature violence.

A new genre, science-fiction, then became popular on television with series like Battle of the Planets/G-Force, Mobile Suit Gundam , and Star Blazers . They were spectacular space operas with majestic spaceships and awe-inspiring robots.

When the home video possibility arose in the early '80s, many producers chose this outlet to release their new material. Because original material was often harder to come by, manga became a direct source of inspiration. Akira Toriyama adapted his Dr. Slump comedy series to great success; he is also the creator of the exceptional triumph Dragon Ball .

a new direction

Ridley Scott's 1982 cult classic, Blade Runner , gave new life to anime. This Harrison Ford vehicle offered a view of the future as indeterminate, and Japanese artists took this revolutionary vision to heart.

Katsuhiro Otomo was among the first to do so with his blockbuster Akira in 1988, while others like Kokaku Kidoutai and his Ghost in the Shell were also successful.